Hurray No MORE SCHOOL! IT"S SUMMER!

Here's my update to celebrate! REview please!

Chapter 8

Frustrations and Confusion

Miroku POV

Since we found the shards of devotion and fear, there have been no signs of any other shards, and that was a week ago. Everyone was still slightly on edge. Koga and Inuyasha were both on constant guard from flying boomerangs; Kagome was diligently trying to get Sango to remember me; Sango was nonstop training day in and day out; Shippo… well he was really grating on my last nerves.

"How come you're the only one Sango doesn't remember?" the little runt, I'm going to punt him one of these days. "At this rate she'll never remember you and you guys are never havin' kids." He shook his head. Like this is any of his business anyway, pestering little- "I mean really, lately she's been acting more and more normal but she still acts like you're a complete stranger. That must feel awful huh Miroku?"

"Shippo, maybe you should stop bothering Lord Miroku." Sango said bluntly, "He looks ready to throw you into a river." Even now she can still read me like an open scroll. What the hell? She doesn't even remember me! How can she still know me so well? Damn it all!

"I'm just asking," Shippo pouted.

"But your questions aren't exactly helping our current situation Shippo." I smile, trying my very hardest to be polite.

Sango reached up and plucked Shippo from my shoulder. "Let's leave Lord Miroku be." She whispered in his pointy little ears.

"Fine, but Sango..." Shippo looked up at her sadly.

"Yes?" she looked so innocent, unable to read the stupid question the little demon was about to ask.

"Why do you call him 'Lord Miroku?'?" Yep, I knew it; stupid question.

"It is a term of respect Shippo" Sango sighed, as if it were completely obvious, which it is.

"Yeah but before, you only called him 'pervert' and 'lecherous cheat.' Why change that now?" Will you shut up? My god, I am never having children if they're all like him. (A/N poor Miroku he is so stressed out T.T)

"I don't remember ever calling him such things." Sango whispered, tears pricking the corners of her eyes again.

"You don't remember him at all." Inuyasha scoffed.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome said tightly. Inuyasha gulped, his ears pressed to his head. "SIT!" That one sounded painful.

"Get up mutt-face! We ain't got all day." Koga growled, stepping on Inuyasha's head as he went by. Unnecessary but a nice touch none the less. I'm turning into a sadistic bastard! Buddha, I have strayed from the peaceful monk's path, forgive me, but it can't be helped.

Even though Sango's eyes were full of tears she didn't let any fall. Her devotion is strong. She doesn't want to be viewed as weak. Her hand swings lazily at her side as she continues to walk on. I non-chalantely swig my arm so it brushes against hers. She looks up at me; her cheeks tinted a pretty pink.

"Lord Miroku… may I ask you something?" She said shyly, slowing her pace. I slow as well. We walk about ten steps behind the others. I can see them all tense to try and hear our conversation.

"Of course," I give her my most charming smile.

"Earlier you said you loved me…" I can feel heat starting to rise in my face. I will not blush! It's not manly! I nod once. She halted so abruptly I had to take a couple steps back to return to her side. The others stopped ahead of us too. "And Shippo says I used to call you 'lecherous cheat'…" please let this question not be what I'm thinking it's going to be. "Did you –" She was cut off by a shrill cry of amusement.

"WHEEEEEEEE!" a small demon zipped by, a small cloud of dust in its wake. Suddenly it skidded to a stop and ran back toward us. "Who are you guys? Where are you going? Will you be my friend? What your favorite color? Why do you have dog ears? What's with your clothes? Why's the sky blue? Ever eaten a bug? Have you seen my brother?" He fired off. How does he breathe with all those questions? He continued on but no one was listening anymore. We all looked to each other.

"Heart Shard." We said dryly.

"I'm guessing… curiosity." Kagome said, very sure of herself.

"Confusion seems more like it." Inuyasha grumbled.

"Excuse me," I kneel by the still questioning demon child.

"How old are you?" he asked. He stopped looking at me expectantly.

"I'll answer your questions if you answer mine." I offered. He nodded vigorously. "What's your name?"

"Kenichi" he replied instantly, "What's yours'?"

"I'm Miroku." This wasn't half as hard as I thought it would be. "What kind of demon are you?"

"I'm a bear demon." He said proudly gesturing to his overly large bear feet. (A/N no pun intended) "What kind of person are you?"

"I'm a monk. Did you happen to find a piece of a dark red jewel recently?"

"Yep, it was stuck in a tree by my den," he pulled the shard from his pocket. "If you're a monk then why do you have hair?"

"Because ladies like a man with hair," I reply automatically. Kagome burst out laughing. "May I take a look at it?"

"What's wrong with her?" he asked, eyeing my outstretched hand warily.

"She's just crazy, pay no mind to her." I say hurridly. So close, must… get… that… stupid shard. At this Inuyasha joined Kagome in a fit of very unmanly giggles.

"Will you give it back?" he asked, his hand hovering over mine, ready to drop the tiny gem.

"Of course," I'm a liar, but at this moment I don't care. He smile and dropped the stone into my hand. I pretended to examine it. With fluidity I rose to my feet and walked to Sango. "What do you think of it?" I ask, as if I was just getting a second opinion but the demon didn't seem to notice. He walked away in a slight daze.

Just as before the jewel returned to Sango via her perfect chest and she began to seize. Apparently she hasn't been confused a whole lot because the seizure subsided almost as quickly as it had taken me to get the shard in the first place. As always her eyes fluttered open and she stared into my eyes as I held her.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I caught you Sango. So you wouldn't hurt yourself." I respond, and here come the questions.

"Why would you care if I hurt myself?" She raised an eyebrow skeptically and crossed her arms.

"Because I care about your well being," I say after a moment of contemplation. I must tread lightly.

"Why?" she leaned up, studying my face. I can't help but glance to her lips, they're so close… No! Bad monk! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Tread lightly!

"Well… because you're important to me." I stammer, feeling the stares of the others' driving into my back.

Sango narrowed her eyes, "You. Make. No. Sense!" She snarled storming off.

"But I thought we hadn't found anger yet…" Shippo said hopping into Kagome's odd contraption's basket.

"Hell has no fury like Sango in a rampage of sadness, confusion, and fear…" she said matter-of-factly.

"What about the other one we found?" Inuyasha, you are so dense my friend.

"Okay new rule," I interject, "No questions unless asked by Sango. I've got a feeling she's going to be asking enough to drive us all insane." I whisper to be sure she doesn't hear.

"Hey Kagome, how many more of these stupid shards do you think we need to get before the demon slayer's strong enough to fight?" Koga asked, his arm wrapping around Kagome's waist. Inuyasha's eyebrows began to twitch. I shot Koga a death glare; of course mine can never be as good as Kagome's or Sango's.

"You know you don't have to stick around, it's not like we need your help or anything." Inuyasha hissed throwing Koga's wrist off Kagome's hip. Not that he's jealous or anything.

"Yeah, why are you here?" Sango accused, pointing at Koga so his eyes crossed themselves to see her finger.

"Shut up! I'm only here because helping you, pathetic human, helps kill Naraku and helps Kagome. If Kagome wants me to leave then I'll leave, but seeing as she's my woman she won't want that." He dropped his arm around Kagome's shoulders. He sure is confident, the fact that Kagome doesn't seem to mind all the attention she receives from both Koga and Inuyasha doesn't help that fact. Inuyasha grabbed Koga's wrist roughly and threw him to the ground.

"Who says she's your woman you mangy wolf?" He growled, baring his fangs.

"Knock it off you two." Kagome ordered her voice hard. They both looked rather frightened.

We continued onward. Ah silence, how I miss it!